Kids add £30 million to phone bills with unauthorized app purchases

Today’s children are comfortable using tabs and smartphones. But this also means bill shock for parents. So much so that the Office of Fair Trade is investigating whetherfreemiumapp marketing is misleading kids.

Microsoft’s survey with UK parents reveals that the average extra payment that they make on their phone bills amounts to £341. This happens due to unauthorized app purchases by the kids and the nationwide total is a staggering £30 million.

Of course, Microsoft ran the survey as a promotional campaign that says the Windows Phone 8 can control bill shocks.

14% of the respondents said that they couldn’t afford the extra payment due and 34% parents said that they now hide their devices from their kids. Surprisingly 17% share password with their kids and 23.5% don’t even have passwords. 13% kids are known to use their parents’ devices without permission.